A Road Not Taken
by Kasey Emrys
Summary: This is a "What If" idea on the night of Valka's kidnapping. What if she HAD accidentally taken someone with her? It's just not who u think. How different would life on Berk be? Aren't u dying to know who it was? U'll have to read to find out! Currently on Hiatus.
1. Prologue: Unexpected Life

**Ok so, this is just something that has been stuck in my head for a while now since I've seen a lot of &What if Valka had taken Hiccup with her& scenarios and was kind of wanting to see something new with it. And ta-da! I got this little story I honestly think would be an interesting &what if&**  
 ** **Disclaimer**** ** **: I don't own HTTYD or its characters. just the (maybe) original plot of the story.****  
 **How To Train Your Dragon**

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 **Prologue: Unexpected Life**

 _ _It was everywhere. The fire was spreading by the second and **they**__ _ _were everywhere. Stealing, killing, destroying... flying. They were their enemies, monsters that mindlessly killed, or at least, that is what everyone grew up believing. With good reason too, she guessed, but she knew it could be different. Better. Berk was a land of kill or be killed, but she believed that peace was possible. She knew that they weren't the mindless killing machines that other vikings made them out to be. Needless to say that it was a very unpopular opinion. She tried and tried to prove it, but no one believed her and she didn't have the proof she needed. Not that such proof existed because no matter how concrete it was, no proof could ever change a mind that didn't want to be changed in the first place. So no, she didn't have the proof she needed. She just couldn't change their minds; they would never change. And it infuriated her that no matter how much she tried she couldn't make them see things from her point of view. It was hopeless. Yes, she knew this too. But even so, as long as she was here she would keep trying. There was nothing else she could do.__  
 _She ran around carrying a bucket full of water trying to stop the fire from spreading as much as possible but it was no use. To her right she saw them flying around, one of them barreling down where it layed in a tired heap on the floor. Out of the corner of her eye she saw one of the vikings heading in the direction of the fallen dragon. She threw down the bucket and ran towards them, making it just in time to catch the viking's arm that was swinging the ax in the downed dragon's direction._  
 _"Stop! You'll only make it worse!" She screamed at him. The dragon took this chance to make its escape, flying away from potential death and leaving the two vikings to watch after its retreating figure. He snatched his arm from the strange woman right away, frowning at her as he made his way somewhere else. Looking for a new fight. A new dragon to kill._  
 _She turned around to look around her and gasped. A massive dragon with what looked like four wings was making its way into her house. Without a second thought she started running to the house. When she came through the door she froze at the sight that welcomed her. Snapping out of her stupor, she grabbed a nearby weapon and made her way over to the dragon._  
 _There, laying in his cot was her year and five months old son, Hiccup, and the Hofferson's ten months old daughter, Astrid, laughing, giggling, and playing with the four winged dragon. For a moment she could do nothing but stare, shocked at the display in front of her._  
 _This proved her theory!_  
 _She looked on, awed as the dragon played carefully right back with them. Realizing that she was there the dragon got startled and looked her way, accidentally scratching little Hiccup's chin and swiftly approaching her. Scared little Hiccup started crying, making baby Astrid start crying as well. She held the weapon in her hands in front of her to protect herself as the dragon slowly moved her way. She panicked a little when the dragon started growling._  
 _Looking into its big yellow eyes staring right back at her, she realized, this wasn't a vicious beast. But an intelligent, gentle creature whose soul reflected her own. Slowly lowering her weapon she stared right back at him in curious wonder._  
 _All too soon, they were interrupted by an ax that was thrown landing between them, starling both of them apart. There was a grunt she was pretty sure was human and a growl that had come from the dragon._  
 _"Valka! Run!" She saw Stoic the chief running toward the dragon ready to attack. But she saw that the dragon was ready for a battle as well._  
 _"No, don't." Her pleas went unheard as the dragon attacked him with fire. She grabbed on the dragon's wing and pulled it to her, turning it to her in the process. The fire that was slowly spreading behind the dragon illuminated it while it approached her._  
 _The house was on fire. She needed to get out of here but not before grabbing the kids. Vaguely she could hear her husband, Stoic, calling for her. But she didn't think to answer. Getting closer to the crying noises, she blindly grabbed one of them. &Hold on!& She heard Stoick yell at her while she backed away from the dragon. Before she could reach out for the other baby she was snatched by the four winged dragon._  
 _"No! Aah! Stoick!" She called for him as she tried not to be dropped as they started flying away from the ground more and more. She couldn't risk getting dropped as she had a baby in her arms. As they were flying away she could see, from the huge hole on the side of her house, her husband looking up at her with the other baby in his arms. As they were flying away she also realized that the baby in her arms wasn't Hiccup. But Astrid Hofferson._  
 ** _ _XXX__**  
 _When they had finally landed on the big ice land, she was amazed by the sight that welcomed her and baby Astrid. All around them there were hundreds of different dragons flying around. They were all flying in a calm, upward spiral. Few of which she could recognize. Most of the species of dragons she saw flying she didn't know, they weren't in the book of dragons! It was an amazing view. And even though she could clearly see that some of these dragons had an injury of some kind or the other, it all looked so peaceful to her. The most shocking view though, was of the beautiful frost colored Bewilderbeast in the middle of it like a King._

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 **I'm not really sure if I should continue it or not so tell me what ur intake on it is and if there are enough people interested I'll continue on it. just tell me what u think.**

 **Posted: 8/9/15**


	2. Chapter 1: New Acquaintences?

**Hey people! So since there has been some comments to continue since I first posted, I decided that I _would_ continue this story and see where it takes us. Thank you for your support on it. Just the thought of how it would really have been if this was what actually happened makes me excited that I'm writing it. I hope that I do my idea and u guys justice and write something worth while. **

**Hiromi : Thank u for being the first one to comment this story of mine.**

 **LilyMayRose : Hey :D Yea, there are lots and lots of different "Valka takes Hiccup with her" versions that it was getting kind of old. At some point I just kind of frustratedly yelled "Pick another person to kidnap already!" and started wondering what it would be like if someone else had accidentally been taken. Since I like Astrid in the second movie _way_ better than the first, where she is all about killing dragons and being the best of the best and all that, I decided that Astrid would have the honor of being kidnapped by a dragon and thought of as dead by her people along with Valka. I also honestly felt that if she grew up with Valka she would be a lot more likable than the first movie once u get to know her and that without her in Hiccup's life, his life would be a lot more different.**

 **thetattooedrose : Thanks. I'm happy this interested u.**

 **Transformers 0 : I'm glad u found it awesome and loved it. Thank u.**

Chapter 1: New... Acquaintances?

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I had been flying for hours, had finally landed and was walking around carefully in a forest I didn't actually know so I was _**tired.**_ I was more far away from my nest than I had ever been. Too far away for comfort and my aunt was waiting for me so I didn't want to make her worried more than she had to because of my being here. She was so worried that she tried to stop me from doing this but it was useless to do so. Which is why she finally gave up on trying and just made me promise to go home in one piece. I did and I would try to keep it. She knows that I was capable of taking care of myself very well and I wasn't easy to spot, so I was good. This was an important matter that I was asked to do and I was determined to succeed with flying colors. Which only meant that I had to suck it up and stop complaining. It's not like I was asked everyday to do something like this by the King himself. Admittedly the great Bewilderbeast had asked aunt to come instead but for some reason she had declined and I was chosen instead. I **_was_** only fourteen, but it was still a great honor I was happy to follow and do well. Besides, the task may be important but it was relatively simple, if slightly dangerous if something went wrong. Chances of something going wrong weren't that great but I still had to be careful because they were still likely. All I had to do was find out some information without making my presence known to anyone or anything and go home as soon as possible. No mistakes, no traces left behind. Simple, right? The risks were medium and amounts of possible errors were extremely low. I had to do everything in my power to make sure that I didn't do anything stupid enough to get me killed, especially if the reason behind it wasn't important enough.

So why was I so unlucky as to get stuck in a situation such as this?

Urgh... What was I supposed to do?! How was I going to handle this entire incident?! I couldn't uncover myself but I couldn't help without making myself **known** in someway. I could take the guy out without him seeing me; knock him out from behind before he even has the chance to wonder what hit him. Better still, I had the cover of the night plus the mask I always wore outside my nest. But then he would wonder who that was and why they would leave him alive. I mean, at this time of night who would attack him without stealing from, kidnapping or killing him? That would be too weird and, if he was had a functional brain, make him suspicious of something else going on. I couldn't have that but, as much as I did not like his kind, I couldn't just kill or rob him because of it! That would make me like him and I _refused_ to stoop so low. I had morals and doing that to him would definitely make a terrible dent on them. Even so, I couldn't just walk away and let him kill the poor thing and one as rare as he was, too. A Night Fury. The offspring of lightning and death itself. It was such a beautiful creature from what I could see from where I was hiding. And it was about to be killed by a lowly Viking! There is no way I could just ignore it, I would never be able to forgive myself if I did.

I found it weird that he was just a feet away from the already resigned-to-die dragon and was doing nothing but staring at it and standing still. More weird than that was the fact that there was a dragon (really rare one) tied in front of him that wouldn't put up a fight if he tried to kill it but despite all this he didn't seem happy at all. His face was, for the most part hidden by the shadows made from the moon light but I was pretty sure that there was no sign of victory in it. He didn't look like a Viking who had just caught one of the most feared dragons in history. He kind of looked like a-

My thoughts were brought to an abrupt stop when I saw the light of the full moon reflecting off of the knife the young Viking That was slowly walking away from the tied Night Fury. Mumbling something that shocked me with a look that was filled with guilt.

"I did this."

When turned around to leave, I had, for a split second thought _'Maybe he isn't like the others'_ but my bewilderment was short lived when just as suddenly he turned around with a decisive look on his face and approached the Night Fury with the knife towards it.

So without a second thought I charged forwards.

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 **Posted: 8/14/15**

 **If Astrid growing up surrounded by dragons and with Valka was what had actually happened how do u think the village's life would have been? Do you think there would have been some major difference or that her presence wasn't that much of a catalyst to anything that had happened? And most importantly, would Hiccup's life have changed for the better or worse? Tell me what you think!**

 **I really honestly want to know how u think this would play out. Please Favorite, Fallow and/or Review. Be honest about ur opinion of this chapter. Did u like it? Was there a part that u hated or thought could be better?**


	3. Chapter 2: Meeting Them

Ch. 2: Meeting Them

"Oh, the Gods hate me." I complained aloud as I cross out another spot on the map in my pocket book then just scratching the pencil all over the page in frustration, shutting it in anger and putting it away.

After the whole fiasco of accidentally letting the dragons go -and probably causing more damage than the dragons themselves-, getting sent home, the horrible pickup speech that Gobber attempted to give me and the vulnerability I showed him, I still had to go and search for the Night Fury myself. Not that it helped or anything since I couldn't find it.

"Some people loose their knife or their mug. No, not me. I manage to loose an entire dragon!" As I kept walking I let my frustration out on a branch, smacking it hard only for it to retaliate and hit me in the face. I flinched back and raised my hand to the afflicted area to discover that it left a cut right above my right brow.

As I tried (and failed) to give an intimidating one eyed glare at the offending branch I noticed that the tree, from which the branch was connected to, was broken in half. It's not long before I'm following the broken branches and trees to find out the cause. Following the trail of destruction I peer out from behind some boulders.

And there, laying with its whole body and tail tangled in the bola is the Night Fury. I take out my knife and cautiously walk closer to the dragon.

"Oh wow. I did it. I did it. This fixes everything. Yes!" I excitedly said, putting my foot on the fallen Night Fury as I strike a victory pose.

"Whoa!" I jump back, surprised when the dragon moves. I point my blade at it.

Slowly, I make my way along the downed dragon's body reaching its head with my knife ready to strike at any given moment. What I find is a cold gaze locked on me, watching me as carefully as I'm watching him. Assessing me. I try to look away from that unflinching stare, but as unnerving as it was there was just something about it that prevented me from looking away.

I forced myself to ignore it, gathering my courage for what I need to do, I strengthened my voice and forged on.

"I'm going to kill you, Dragon. I'm gonna cut out your heart and take it to my father. I'm a Viking." My chest felt tight and I was having trouble breathing.

"I am a VIKING!" I raised the dagger steadily, determined to prove myself a real Viking in their eyes. The dragon's labored breathing shakes my resolve and I unwittingly look the dragon in the eye. The dragon is still staring at me firmly, and uncertainty leaks through the cracks in my will. I couldn't help holding the stare, couldn't help the feeling of understanding what he- it, whatever- felt. Nor could I help thinking of the terror it must be feeling. And when the Night Fury closed its eyes and lowered its head, with a pitiable whine, resigned to its fate, I really couldn't help the internal war that took precedence. With a frustrated sigh I lowered my dagger knowing that I wouldn't be able to go through with it. And I couldn't help thinking that maybe they were right; I am Useless.

I look over the dragon's chaffed rope wounds. Just standing there taking in the damage and pain I caused and letting the fact that I really wasn't the Viking I knew my father hoped I was, sink in.

"I did this." I murmured and turn to leave. Paused. And glance back at the dragon, with its chest heaving. I grumbled because I knew I wouldn't be able to leave him there. I checked over my shoulder to make sure that no one was watching... then went back to cut the ropes.

As I'm getting closer, there is a rustling sound and I turned just in time to glimpse at the oncoming body hurtling towards me before getting tackled to the ground. I landed with a painful thud and the weight of what I'm pretty sure was a human taking my breath away. Before I know it my knife is knocked out of my hands and I'm wrestling with the other individual for dominance.

We continued for a while until both of us pushed the other away and jump apart. I instantly go for my knife and point it at them. I can't really see much but what I can see is that they have a mask with horns covering their face and I can't tell whether they are male or female.


End file.
